Chapter 3 : A small talk and the weight of Duty (1)

As I followed the twins, Veronica's words still echoing in my head, I couldn't help but feel sick at the realization that I had been declared her property, a mere slave to be controlled and owned. The maids had come to instruct me on how things were to be done, but the thought of being treated as nothing more than a servant filled me with disgust and anger.

"We are here," Mary, the older twin, declared as we approached a stately chamber with a gleaming door. She then addressed Cathy, saying, "Cathy, take him to the clothing section and properly dress him. I'll talk to the head butler about him and then meet you in the backyard."

Cathy nodded, her expression bright, and Mary left us alone. I had no intention of causing any trouble, but the thought of being at the mercy of others made my body shake with rage.

Cathy took hold of my arm and led me into the room.

When I looked at her in surprise,

"Is something wrong?" she asked , noticing my gaze.

"No," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

We passed several more rooms before arriving at the clothing storeroom. Cathy directed me to sit in one of the chairs and began to bring out my new attire.

I took my seat and waited for Cathy to finish bringing out the clothes. After a few minutes, she returned with some clothes in her hands, which she handed to me and pointed towards the changing room.

"Ugh, is it really necessary to change my clothes with these? Don't you have something light and comfortable?" I asked, looking at the stiff, formal attire she had given me. I knew it would be uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.

"It's a strict order from Lady Veronica for you to be dressed like this," Cathy said with a smile, but I sensed something bewitching behind it.

I simply nodded, afraid that if I asked again, I might encounter something dangerous that I don't need right now.

As I was feeling lousy, heading towards the changing room, Cathy grabbed my hand to stop me and closed the distance between us. I could clearly feel her breath on my face as she stared into my eyes.

'Is it that soon?' I wondered. 'Am I going to be popular?'

*Sniff

*Sniff

'Huh?'

Cathy started sniffing my face and body as her face turned mad. Then, satisfied with her sniffing, she released me from her arms and said to me in an annoyed tone, which was the first time I had seen this expression on her beautiful young face.

"Tch, Cathy hates the disgusting scent coming from you," she said.

"Uh, is it?" I asked, sniffing myself. As soon as I did, I understood why Cathy's expression turned ugly.

Seeing my expression, she placed a towel in my hand and pointed towards the bathroom. "Firstly, go wash yourself up. Then after you're dressed, we'll head straight to the backyard."

I took my time washing myself up and wearing the not-so-comfortable costume - a white shirt and black pants.

"Ahh, how nostalgiciac" I thought to myself. The last time I wore something like this was for a job interview.

*Knock

A knock came at the door as I was reminiscing about the past.

"Coming," I called out.

After coming out, I heard a three-minute lecture from the cute little maid, Cathy, which wasn't too bad, although it seemed like she was trying to act harsh. It made her seem like a little kid nagging about why her parents were late.

'Head butler'

The head butler of the villainess was a terribly evil person who was also a top-class magician and a famed assassin. Whenever any threat arose, Veronica would simply deploy her pawn - the head butler, Luvric Da Fonadil.

The most interesting thing about him was his noble title. Yes, it was weird for a person of nobility to act as a butler. The Fonadil family, which Luvric belonged to, was a small nobility from the eastern part of the empire, falling under the Bloodfallen jurisdiction, also known as the Bloodfallen County. It was made up of 12 noble families, known as the Union of the Bloodfallen. They were all servants of the Bloodfallen, and of course, they were also vampires.

So it isn't that much of a big deal to see a young lady from the Bloodfallen family house walking with a servant who's a nobility.

After Cathy's bickering ended, we left the dressing room and headed towards the backyard, where I would be introduced to the head butler.

"Cathy, why are you late?" Mary exclaimed as she saw me and Cathy coming.

The backyard of the mansion was enormous enough to hold a 400-people banquet, and the corners of the walls were adorned with beautiful flowers arranged in a charming manner. But my gaze was drawn to an extremely handsome man standing there with great confidence and authority, looking at the sky.

His brown hair waved in the wind, his crimson eyes shone bright, and his lips were like red roses. His pale white skin shone bright in the sunlight. He was a perfection among perfection, a mage among mages, a assassin among assassins - Luvric Da Fonadil.

Perhaps noticing my gaze, he turned his crimson eyes towards me and smiled like an angel.

"Luvric, this is the guy who saved Lady Veronica from death," Mary said to Luvric, who quickly grabbed my hands and began showering me with praise.

"It's such a delight to meet the savior of our lady. There are no words I can say to tell you how grateful I am," he said, maintaining his angelic smile.

"I-it's my duty to save anyone in danger," I replied.

His grip on my hands tightened. "Indeed, but we are still grateful, and if you want anything from me, you can say it."

I knew very well that behind this angelic smile lay a lone wolf who was hungry for blood. If you're asking whether I felt safe seeing him smile, the answer would be absolutely not. This person in front of me was surely doubting my noble intentions, just like the twins and Veronica.

"No, thank you. I'm just happy to help Miss Veronica," I said.

"Ahh," Luvric said, his grip on my hands tightening even more, causing me to flinch in pain.

*Bonk

Mary swung her arm at Luvric's head and reprimanded him. "Luvric, you're not supposed to hurt him."

Rubbing his head, Luvric replied with an embarrassed grin. "Sorry, I was just checking to see if he's strong or not." He then turned towards me and bowed. "I'm sorry for hurting you, Asher."

"N-no, it's not a big deal. I understand," I replied.

Luvric straightened his posture and then turned to Cathy, asking for something I had never seen before. Cathy then pulled a box out from underneath her bra (what the...) and handed it to Luvric, who unboxed it.

"This is a very precious thing," Luvric said, holding up the badge shaped like a flower petal. "It is a symbol of your position as a servant in this household. It represents your loyalty to Lady Veronica and your willingness to serve her. Wear it with pride, Asher."

I looked at the badge on my shirt and couldn't help but feel a sense of despair wash over me. I had never thought I would end up as a servant, let alone wear a badge symbolizing my subservience. But I knew that I had no choice in the matter, and I had to make the best of my situation.

"Thank you, Luvric," I said, forcing a smile. "I will wear it with pride and do my best to serve Lady Veronica to the best of my ability."

"I have no doubt that you will, Asher," Luvric said, patting me on the shoulder. "Now, let's get to work. There are many tasks that need to be done around the mansion, and I'm sure Lady Veronica will have a few tasks for you as well."

With a heavy heart, I followed Luvric and the twins as we set off to begin our duties. I knew that my life would never be the same again, and I could only hope that I would find a way to escape this life of servitude and regain my freedom.

____

The hooded figures sat in silence, the tension in the air palpable as they waited anxiously for the meeting to begin. A stage had been set up at the front of the room, and among the hooded figures sat one who stood out from the rest.

She was a woman with black, luscious hair and bright blue eyes that shone like jewels, even in the dim light of the room. Two horns protruded from her head, marking her as a demon.

As the meeting began, a hooded figure leaned in to speak quietly to the demon woman, known as Madam Starlight. "The assassins have returned from mission D-47," he whispered.

A smile crossed Starlight's lips as she replied, "Excellent news. Bring them to the meeting after the Supreme Commander's speech and we will debrief them on the mission." The hooded figure nodded and left as Starlight turned her attention back to the stage.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows, causing a hush to fall over the room. She was dressed in a sleek, black, sleeveless dress that hugged her curves as she walked. The air around her seemed to vibrate with an otherworldly energy, and all eyes were upon her as she approached the podium.

Her piercing gaze swept over the assembled figures, causing fear to grip their hearts. Only Starlight's cheeks went scarlet and her breathing got hard, while her hands were involuntarily pushed down to her crotch.

"My fellow, Soldier, the time has come for our lord Alzeroth to return to this land, reclaim his rightful throne, and rule over the entire world."

She stopped, then resumed.

"But first, we must retrieve the Stone of Immunity from the Vicious Empire, which has been under the protection of the wretched Empress and which was taken from us a thousand years ago in the battle in which our lord sacrificed his life to protect us."

"But it is our obligation as his devoted followers not to allow his sacrifice go in vain, For that reason," she paused, looking at starlight, who stood up and gave a polite bow.

"We'll deploy our most formidable demon battalion to bring back our Stone of Immunity."

"Which shall be led by Our valiant General Starlight."

This marked the beginning of a deadly battle between the empire and the demon race, one that would soon shake the entire world.